Falling in and out
by Adrian
Summary: Anakin and Amidala meet again after 5 years...three days before her wedding.


Falling in…and out 

By K. Skywalker

"Oh Bail, I can hardly wait until the wedding! I love you and will see you soon, Ami." Queen Amidala of Naboo finished the last of her hologram letter to her beloved Bail Organa of Alderann. They were to be wed in less than 3 days and he was away on Alderann dealing with politicians and bureaucrats about the upcoming fight against the Ithorians, a planet full of ruthless creatures who were set on controlling Alderann. 

She smiled thinking of Bail and his soft gentle kisses and the way he would gently stroke her hair.

"Ami," her handmaiden Sabe` called, "Ami, Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are landing their ship, don't you think you should get prepared to greet them?" Sabe` looked at Ami's clothing, she was wearing a simple handmaiden's smock and tights and her hair was back in a large bun made of braids. The same as Sabe` and the rest of her handmaiden's.

"I will go like this Sabe`, they are good friends of mine who I have not seen in years. I would rather them see the real me instead of a woman covered with make-up and pounds of cloth." Amidala told her handmaiden, whom only nodded in reply. Ami slipped on her black shiny boots and headed out of the door, with Sabe` behind her. As they went down the hall all of her handmaidens started to follow their queen in a straight line behind her. 

Ami couldn't wait to see the young boy Anakin and his Master. Anakin was like a little brother to her. If she remembered correctly, the last time she had seen him was 3, no 4 years ago. He had been 15 at the time. He was skinny and still a bit shorter than Obi-Wan, with lanky legs and arms. He also was cute as a button, with his baby blue eye's and his little Padawan haircut and braid. His voice had still been high, but was cracking and changing. 

They still kept in touch with letters, but he was always far away on training and missions, so they almost never sent holos, she hadn't gotten one from him for about 2 years, just letters. Which of coarse was fine with Ami, she just liked being in touch. 

When she arrived at the landing port, the gangplank on Obi-Wan and Ani's ship was lowering. She felt a pang of excitement in getting to see her friends again. It had been so long since she had seen the young boy and his master. 

Obi-Wan came out of the ship, wearing his spiked hair cut and Jedi Robes, and smiled at her. She recognized him; right behind Obi-Wan came a young, very handsome man, wearing Jedi Robes and a Padawan hair cut. Amidala did not recognize him until he sent a lopsided grin her way. It was Anakin, not the short, lanky, immature, cute as a button boy Ani she remembered, but a muscular, handsome, VERY mature (at least physically), man. He probably stood at 6 feet. She almost gasped. 

Sabe` stepped next to her and whispered in her ear, "Well, little Ani has sure grown up." Ami looked at her friend and then back at Anakin and smiled at the man. "Obi-Wan, Anakin, I am so glad you could make it!" she said giving Obi-Wan a hug, "Bail and I are very happy to have you at our wedding. It is a great honor." She thought she saw Anakin flinch and look away at the mention of Bail and her getting married. No, he couldn't still have a crush on me? Could he? She thought to herself. 

"Anakin you haven't given me a hug yet!" he smiled at her, and walked over and gave her a huge hug. Then she started to feel so…safe in his arms. It wasn't like what she felt for Bail, it was deeper, more intimate. Her legs began to feel wobbly and her stomach twisted in knots. She felt as if she was flying. She looked up at his lips and wanted to touch them to hers. STOP IT AMI, she told herself, YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED IN TWO DAYS. YOU LOVE BAIL, NOT ANI, THIS IS ANI! STOP! Amidala released from the hug to find an embarrassed Anakin. "Good to see you again your highness, 4 years is to long." Anakin spoke, they were his first words since he landed. His voice was deeper, and it shocked Amidala, along with everything else about him. It also made her feel slightly strange when he called her "YOUR HIGHNESS". 

She just looked into his beautiful blue eyes and replied, "Yes, it is to long Ani, way to long." Anakin nodded, and went back to the ship to get his things. Amidala walked up to the Jedi Master, "Is there something wrong with Anakin?'' Ami asked, even though she pretty much knew the answer. 

"He has always had very strong feelings for you, your highness, he is taking this marriage awfully hard." Obi-Wan smiled at her, " No need to worry your highness, he just has a very long lasting crush, he is 19 now. He will get over it soon." He patted her on the shoulder and followed Anakin into the ship. Some how, Amidala did not believe him.

"Anakin, you need to stop acting like a five year old. You should be happy she has found someone to love." Obi-Wan told his Padawan. Anakin wasn't really listening. He knew somehow that he and Ami were meant to be together, not apart. It just hit him so hard when he found out she was marrying Bail. It felt like a light-saber went through his heart when they got the invitation to the wedding. Worst of all, it was all over the news, so he had to see it every 10 seconds.

Anakin also didn't appreciate his master telling him that he was acting like a baby and telling him he just has a crush. "Master," Ani said sternly, "I wold appreciate it if you keep your nose out of my business…and my heart." Obi-Wan looked at his Padawan with a look of frustration. "Young Padawan, that tone shall not be used with me. Go meditate for awhile. Think of the situation. Even if you two were to be together, you could not marry or go public. Jedi's are not allowed to have those sort of…relationships until knight hood, young learner. She is also 5 years older then you." Anakin nodded and headed for the palace gardens to meditate, feeling worse then before.

Amidala sat in her bedchambers, thinking about young Anakin. He had changed, very much, since she had last seen him 5 years ago. When he had hugged her…well she had never felt anything like that before. Those knots in her stomach, the urge to kiss his lips, wanting to stay in his embrace forever. Not even with Bail had she felt such a deep…it couldn't be love, could it?

No, of coarse not, and even if it was, she couldn't act on it. No, it was 1 day before she married Bail Organa, and she loved him.

She thought deeper about him, did she love him, or was it just safe and easy to marry him? With Anakin, well it could never happen! He was younger by five years, and could not be married until knighthood, who knew how long that could be!

AMI, she asked herself, WHY ARE YOU EVEN THINKING OF THIS, YOU LOVE BAIL, NOT ANI! She sat there a moment longer and then looked at the time mechanism on the table in front of her. It was time for the wedding rehearsal. She stood up and stretched her arms, she was wearing a handmaiden out fit once again, except it was a sleek lavender dress and her hair was in a braid that circled her head like a crown. 

For some reason, she was nor nervous or happy about her wedding. She wondered again if she loved Bail, romance wise. She went over to the comm center, "Sabe`, could we please move the wedding rehearsal an hour over, I have some urgent business I need to attend to." Sabe` gave an instant reply, "Yes your majesty, I will tell everyone." Sabe` paused, "Amidala, is something wrong?" 

"No, I just need to get a few things straight, thank you for asking though." Amidala replied to her maid of honor. Sabe` disconnected after saying goodbye and Amidala went to lie back down, she needed time to herself, to think.

==================================================================

During meditation, Anakin came to the realization that he could still remain close to Ami, even if she got married. They would just never have the relationship he had always dreamed of having. 

So now he was just lying on his bed in the quarters Ami had given him, thinking of what would happen next. Then he got the call that the wedding rehearsal was moved back an hour, and it worried Ani that something might be wrong, so he got up and headed towards Amidala's quarters.

"Your majesty," he said while opening the door quietly. He saw her lying on her bed, eyes open and staring at the ceiling. She sat up when she heard his voice. "Hello, Anakin, come in." She stood up and walked over to the chair he had seated himself in and sat on the one next to it. "I just came to see if you were okay, you called off the wedding rehearsal and I thought something might be wrong." 

Amidala smiled, the most beautiful smile, and replied, "No Anakin, everything is fine." Then all of the sudden, she stood up and walked over to he bed and sat down, Anakin followed, sensing something was wrong, and stood beside her. She put her hands over her face, trying not to cry. "Anakin, I don't know if this is the right thing," she looked back up at him, "I mean I don't know if I am marrying Bail out of love or if I am taking the safe and easy path by marrying him. My brain is telling me one thing and then my heart is telling me another…" she trailed off and their eyes met. Anakin knew, right then, that he loved her, and she loved him back.

Amidala's brain was telling her no, but her heart was telling yes a million times louder. She stood up, not breaking eye contact with the younger man and he suddenly kissed her. Her heart was racing, and her mind finally broke, telling her, her heart was right along. She felt so right in his arms, as he wrapped them tightly around her body, giving her a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach. His kiss was like fire, warm and intense, it was a kiss of love. She started kissing him back, with as much intensity.

At that moment, she knew that she knew she never had loved Bail, for his kisses had never sent her spiraling through a black hole. His kisses had never even given her any sort of feeling inside of her, that is how she thought it was supposed to be. Boy was she wrong. 

They started walking, never letting go of the kiss and Anakin was finally backed up against the wall. Then her bedroom door opened, and in walked Bail Organa and Obi-Wan, Bail spoke as he walked in, before he noticed, before Ani or Ami noticed. "Darling, I just wanted to see if everything was al…" Bail trailed off as he saw the two figures, Obi-Wan just glared at his Padawan learner. The couple broke apart and moved away from one another. Anakin looked down at the floor and then at Amidala and then at Obi-Wan. Ami just kept looking back and forth at Bail and Anakin. 

Bail looked as if a huge boulder had hit him. Obi-Wan looked disappointed and disgusted. 

"Amidala, how…what…" Bail trailed of in his words, slowly turned around and walked out of the chambers. "Bail," Amidala called after him, she looked at Anakin, who then looked at her, then back to the floor, refusing to meet the eyes of his master. "Anakin, I will meet you in my chambers immediately, do you understand me." Obi-Wan said sternly, Anakin nodded and looked at Amidala, "Yes, Master," he said softly. 

Amidala caressed his cheek. He gave her a slight smile and stared into her eyes. Obi-Wan turned back around an almost yelled at his Padawan, "Anakin!" This startled him, so he broke eye contact and followed his master out of the room, looking back once to see her again. Amidala smiled at him and Anakin left. Amidala immediately went to look for Bail, knowing she had to speak with him. 

"Master, I…" Anakin said to Obi-Wan as they entered his chambers. "Anakin, there are no excuses for what I just saw. This disappoints me Anakin, I thought you were higher then this!" Obi-Wan stated sternly. 

"I know there are no excuses, but I didn't mean for it to happen, it just…" Anakin looked up at his master. "It just happened, Anakin. Is that what you were going to say? Theses things do not just happen! Kissing an engaged queen does not just happen, Padawan." Obi-Wan almost yelled. He then took a deep breath to try to calm him-self down. "Do you know what will happen if the media get heave of this? They could tear you and her highness apart." Obi-Wan paused, "you knew she was engaged, why did you do it, why did you kiss her! She and Bail were perfectly happy. Anakin, why did you even think of doing it?"

Anakin looked at his master in shock that he would lay the blame all on him. "I didn't think about it, Master. I told you, it just happened. I mean, she was sitting there, telling me nothing was wrong. Then she started fighting tears and I just stood there next to her...and the next thing I know, we are gazing into each-others eyes, and I kissed her!" Anakin fought the urge to smile, and continued, staring intensely at his master. "Just a little kiss, and then it changed and she started kissing me back and then I was against the wall, and you and his highness walked in and, that is pretty much it. But, I do not deserve all the blame you know, she did kiss me back." Obi-Wan just stared back.

"Yes, but you should have known better, she was in a weakened condition and upset and you took advantage of the situation. That makes it your…" Anakin cut him off angrily, "What! How could you even say that! I love her to much to ever take advantage of her!" he paused, "Master, Obi-Wan, I always thought of you as, not just my master, but as my friend and brother I never had. But I see now, that I was misled, and I am disappointed. I actually thought you knew me." Anakin left, and Obi-Wan stared after him and said to himself. "Now what have I done, what have I done."

"Bail, I cannot explain what you saw, I am sorry that I hurt you." Amidala said to the prince. "How long has this been going on Ami, how long have you been lying to me." Amidala saw a tear drip down his cheek, she replied, "This was…the first time Bail. I was not planing on it, I mean I didn't. Bail, I do not know what say." Amidala's gaze shifted from him to the window, where she saw Anakin walking in the garden. She then realized how much she loved Anakin. She couldn't help smiling, Bail noticed her smile. He then saw she was gazing at the Jedi. 

"You love him, don't you Ami." He asked seriously, for he had fallen in fallen in love wit ha girl on Alderann, but had not acted on it. In fear of breaking Amidala's heart. She looked at him and nodded.

"Ami…I fell in love with another woman back on Alderann, we did not do anything, like you and the boy, but I was going to have to tell you. And knowing this makes it a lot easier. Amidala's heart filled with sudden relief and surprise. She had not hurt him, which was her greatest fear. She hugged him and whispered, "I will always care about you, Bail. I am thankful that I have not hurt you as much as I was afraid I had. I hope you are going to be happy with her like I know I will be with Anakin. And one more thing," She released their embrace and stared out the window at the man she loved, "He is no boy." They both laughed. 

Amidala's heart filled with joy. She wondered how it was possible that everything had turned out so perfect, nobody's heart broken. It was just too good to be true.

Anakin sat in the garden alone, thinking about Amidala. He wondered if Obi-Wan was right? Had he taken advantage of her? Had it all been his fault? He looked down at the stone walkway. He then took a seat on one of the beautifully crafted benches, still looking down. "Is this seat taken?" A male voice said to him, a light sprinkle of rain began to fall. He looked up. It was Obi-Wan. "Nope," Anakin said, and looked back down. 

"Anakin, I am sorry about what I said. I had no right. Bail just told me that everything was fine, and he was going to break the engagement off anyway. He also told me that Amidala really cares about you, my young Padawan." Obi-wan placed his hand on Anakin's back. Anakin looked up and smiled at Obi-Wan. "Thank you, Master, for everything." 

Just then, a cough sounded next to him. Both men looked up to see Queen Amidala standing there. "I will leave you two alone." Obi-Wan said as he gave his Padawan a wink. Anakin stood up with his Master and walked over to his loved one and took her hand in his. Obi-Wan bowed to the Queen and Ami smiled at him.

"Well, we are all alone young Padawan," Amidala said to Anakin with a smile. Anakin smiled back at her, "Yes we are, my queen, yes we are." Their faces beaming, they touched their noses together and gazed into each other's eyes. 

A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder brought the light sprinkle to pouring down rain. The young queen and the Padawan looked up at the sky and then back down to each other. Anakin put his hand behind her neck and she wiped the rain from his face. Then they brought each other into a passionate kiss, a kiss as powerful as the flashes of lighting over head. Except this kiss was pure love. 


End file.
